Mrs. Dingman's Class, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday 2001/2002

We combined Language Arts and Math skills in this writing project. We re-told Judith Viorst's Alexander, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday, practiced using past-tense verbs, and showed how well we can add and subtract money. Enjoy our creativity and humor!

This page was last updated on: January 11, 2002

Alexandra, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday           It's not fair that my brother has $50.00. It's not fair that mom has $100.00. It's not fair that dad has $1,000,000.00. But all I have is a pass.           One day my mom and dad gave my brother and I $5.00.The next day my grandma and grandpa came to visit and gave my mom a vase, dad a shirt, my brother a ball and $5.00, and me ballet slippers and $4.00. I found $1.00. WOW!  I'm going to buy a lot of stuff with $10.00.       The next day my brother told me to flush my money down the toilet. My mom told me to hide it like a treasure chest and when I am 10 years older I will hunt for the treasure. My dad said I should buy a lot of candy with my money.       The next day I went to a toy store. I bought a Bopit for $1.00. Then I went to a candy shop and bought M&M's for 50 cents. I went to a nametag store and I bought a nametag for 50 cents. Then I bought a little desk for $4.00. Then I bought a box of pencils for $1.00. Then I bought skates for $2.00.Then I bought lipstick for $1.00. Then I had no more money to spend.           First I asked my mom for money but she said no. Then I asked my dad for money but he said no. Then I asked my brother for money but he said no. I tried to baby-sit but the baby made a big mess when I was sleeping. I had a garage sale but no one came. I don't ever want to hear the word money ever again.           I told my mom and dad to never give me money ever. But all I have is a Bopit, M&M's, a name tag, a desk, a box of pencils, skates, lipstick, and a pass.

Josh, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday           It's not fair my sister has $11.00 and 25 pennies. It's not fair my other sister has $12.00 All I have are Digi coins.            My mom gave me the money. She got it from her boss at work. She gave my sisters $10.00 each.        My mom said you should save it for a Digimon toy. My sister said buy a TV for your room. My dad said you should buy rock and finish the rock wall.            I bought stickers for 50 cents and some ice cream for 50 cents. I had $1.00 fall in the sewer and spent $5.00 for a pass to the pool. I spent $2.00 for a Digi watch and $2.00 for a bad grade. My mom said give $1.00 dollar to the poor.           I tried to get good grades but no there were no tests. I tried to suck up to my mom. She would not buy it. I tried to sell lemonade. No one wanted lemonade. I looked in the piggy bank. No money in there.           I have stickers and some ice cream. I have a pool pass, a Digimon watch, and some Digi coins.

Rachel, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday           It's not fair! My brother Andrew has two dollars, four pennies, seven nickels, ten dimes, and eight quarters. My cousin Yen has two dollars, one penny, three nickels, two dimes, and four quarters. All I have is lunch tickets! Just crummy old lunch tickets to buy lunch my with.           My birthday is today, December 18, so my mom and dad gave me $10.00. That ten dollars came from my allowance so I really didn't get any money at all. It would be cool if my mom and dad just gave me ten dollars on my birthday just for fun.            I got some advice for what I should do with my $10.00. My brother Andrew said I should get some CD's because I lost all mine. My cousin Yen said I should buy some plants to decorate my room. My dad said I should buy a sled for my cousin Yen because hers has a crack in it. My mom said I should save it to pay for college.             Today, I have $10.00 to spend so I am going to go to the mall and get nail polish for $2.00, and new shoes for $2.00. Now I spent $4.00 and I have $6.00 left. I'm going to go home and put my new shoes and nail polish on. I've got my nail polish and shoes on so I'm going to go to the $1.00 store and get new clothes for $1.00. So now I spent $5.00 and have $5.00 left.  Now I'm going to the mall again because I forgot to get some jewelry that costs $4.00. Now I have spent $9.00 and have $1.00 left. I'm absolutely going to save the rest of my money! I'm positively going to save the rest of my money! But, I'm going to go to my house and rent some hair bands from my mom for 75 cents. I have my own but mine aren't as pretty as my mom's are. I'm absolutely positively going to save the rest of my money! Except I need to buy some makeup because I used all mine up and I have every- thing else new.            I spent all my money. I even admit it! So I am going to ask my mom and dad for more money. Since it is still my birthday, right? But, they still said no! Can you believe them! So I'm going to try to sell some of the things I bought. But, nobody wanted them. So I'm going to see if there are any empty bottles or cans I can recycle. But, all of them were already recycled. I have some extra makeup I didn't use up, which is a little moldy, but who cares! So I'm going to use my old makeup and some old dolls and make them pretty and then I'm going to sell them! But, nobody wanted them either! So I guess I'm not going to get more money after all.           All I'm left with is nail polish, jewelry, hair bands, makeup, new shoes, new coats and some crummy old lunch tickets.

Alexander, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday           It's not fair that my brother Nick has 15 dollars and 8 nickels, 7 dimes and 18 pennies. It's not fair that my brother Joey has 14 dollars and 9 dimes, and 5 nickels and 14 pennies. It's not fair that my sister Rachel has 13 dollars, 15 dimes, 8 nickels, and 13 pennies. It's not fair that my mom has 60 dollars, 15 dimes, and 45 pennies. All I have are seven erasers.           Last Sunday my aunt and uncle came up and gave me $10.00 and Nick  $10.00 and gave $10.00 to Joey and Rachel. They gave an orchestra CD to my mom with violins and cellos and clarinets and flutes and everything. They gave my dad shirts.           My brother Nick said that I should use it for Pok'eMon cards and Joey said I should use it for action figures called Gundum Wing figures. Rachel said that I should use it for make-up for her. Rachel is weird. My mom said I should save it for a car and my dad said I should save it for an electric guitar.           At the movie store I wanted to rent a video game. It was called Street Fighter. I needed that video game. Good-bye $6.00. Then I lost $1.00 in the wash. Good-bye $1.00. Then I lost 50 cents down the drain and then I lost a bet to my brother that I could jump higher than him. He won the bet. Good-bye $1.00, for 50 cents down the drain and in a bet. Then I bet my brother that I can run faster than him. Good-bye $1.00. Then Joey took a dollar and hid it. Good-bye $1.00.       Uh oh, I have no more money left. I tried to re-race my brother. He won again. And then I said to Joey that I would beat him up if he didn't give me my money back.  Right when I was about to, my mom came into the room.       Now all I have left are seven erasers, 6 mini pod pens, 10 rulers, and 8 markers.

Victoria, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday           It's not fair! My brother Nicholas has seven dollars, three dimes, twenty pennies, and five nickels. It's not fair! My cousin May has five dollars, ten pennies, and nine dimes. All I have are lunch tickets.           I found ten dollars under my mattress. My brother Nicholas found three dollars under his mattress. My cousin May found four dollars under her mattress.           My dad said I should save my money for high school. He was kidding. Nicholas said I should go to the pet store and get hired as a newspaper. Nicholas stinks. May said I should bury the $10.00 and after five days a dollar bush would grow. Ha Ha Ha. My mom said that if I really wanted a puppy I should start saving my money. Saving money is hard.           I lost a game to my brother. Good-bye 66 cents. I bet I could hide my mom's ring so good she couldn't find it. Good-bye 63 cents. My friend Kathy let me borrow her frog for ten minutes. Good-bye $2.20. I bought a doll with no eyes. I needed that doll with no eyes. Good-bye 40 cents. I absolutely am going to save the rest of my money. I positively am going to save the rest of my money, but I saw this new gum and it was disgusting. Good-bye 38 cents. I saw a ripped book. I needed that ripped book. Good-bye $1.00. I rented three baby snails. Good-bye 28 cents.           I absolutely am going to save the rest of my money, but now I need money to save! I looked all over the house even under the beds. But there was no money. Then I went outside to sell all the things I bought. Then I looked on the ground to see if people dropped any money, but there was no money. I made a fake hamster and I tried to rent it. No people wanted to rent a hamster.           Now all I'm left with is a no-eyed doll, disgusting gum, a ripped book, and some lunch tickets.

Michael, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday           It's no fair my sister has fifteen dollars and three pennies. It's no fair my friend has twenty dollars and five nickels. All I have are game zone tokens.           I got two dollars from my Grandma. I got three dollars from my friend for my birthday. Then I found three dollars on the ground. My Uncle gave me two dollars for my team winning the baseball game.           My cousin Joe told me to go and buy a pet duck.  What does he know about pets? My friend Matt told me to buy a gorilla. I hope he was joking. My best friend Tommy said to buy an eighteen-wheeler, but that was too expensive. My Dad told me to save it for a snowboard. I already had one.           The next day I went to Toys R Us and got a Hot Wheels car, which was one dollar. Then I needed some track for my car, which was two dollars. Then I needed a bike tire, which was two dollars. Then I went to a snowboarding shop and got some goggles, which were two dollars each. I got two. Then I got a Hershey Bar that was one dollar.           I tried to get more money by selling my penny collection but nobody bought them. I tried to sell my small bouncy ball but nobody bought it. I tried to sell my bike, but nobody wanted a used bike. So I tried to sell my dirt bike but nobody liked dirt bikes around where I live.            I have a toy car that broke, and some hot wheel track with a lot of dirt on it. I have two snow boarding goggles. I also have a melted chocolate bar. I have a bike tire and some game tokens.

Larissa, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday           It's not fair that my brother has $7.00. It's not fair that my sister has $14.12. It's not fair that my mom has $40.78. It's not fair that my dad has $39.99. It's not fair that my grandma has $42.20. It's not fair that my niece has 2 dimes, 3 nickels, and one half-dollar. It's not fair that all I have is a license plate that has my name on it.       Last Sunday I found $5.00 on the computer. That caused a long fight with my brother and sister. I was lucky because I got it, and I got it good!!!!!!!!!!!  My mom gave me $5.00 for cleaning the house. I was the lucky one because I got money, and my brother got a Playstation game, my sister got a new CD player, and I got $5.00 from her.       My mom says that I should save my money for the new N' Sync Barbie. My sister says that I should go to the store to get a hair cut. My brother says that I should use my money to get him something to play with. (He said that because he knows that he wants to have a Playstation game, for him to play with.) My grandma says that I should spend it on nothing. But I don't think I could do that.      Then I thought I was rich. So I wanted a few things. But I knew that was wrong. No wait, I knew I should use my money up so my brother and sister won't steal it. No wait, oh never mind. I'll just spend it. So I went to my best friend's garage sale. I saw one shirt left that says- I am a little angel printed on it. That costs $1.00. I thought it was cool. I saw a box of crayons that didn't have a blue in the box, but who needs a blue in a crayon box anyway. It cost 10 cents. Bye bye 10 cents. So now I am absolutely saving my money. I positively am saving my money. I am absolutely positively saving my money.       But when I went shopping at the mall with my family, I saw this really cool book. It was called The Mouse and The Motorcycle. So I got it. Bye bye 20 cents. I am absolutely saving my money. I positively am saving my money. I absolutely positively am saving my money. But my next door neighbor was selling a really cool CD player. I really needed that CD player. Bye bye  $1.00. I will not buy one more thing until I saw 5 stuffed animals. They were really cool. Bye bye $5.00. Then I went to the toy store and I saw an awesome pack of colored ponytails. Bye bye 10 cents. Then I saw this really cool note pad. I really liked it. Bye bye $1.00. I absolutely am saving my money. I positively am saving my money. I absolutely positively am saving my money. But then at the end of my street I saw this really cool box of chapsticks. I used it. How was I supposed to know it was my friend's chapstick? Bye bye 10 cents. Then my dad made me get a dog folder. I used to love dogs. Bye bye 50 cents. Then I saw play money at the toy store. Bye bye $1.00.           But when I bought all those things, I lost all my $10.00. So I tried to see if there was anyone who needed a job. No one wanted a job that I could do. Then I tried to sell my Mouse and The Motorcycle book. Nobody wanted my book. I tried to do chores for my mom. She did not want to give me extra money.           All I have is a shirt that has I am a little angel printed on it, The Mouse and The Motorcycle book, a box of crayons with no blue inside of it, a pack of colored ponytails, a medium sized notepad, a CD player, five stuffed animals, and a license plate that has my name on it.